Tame the doorbell before October 31
For many dogs, Halloween night is two hours of nonstop doorbell ringing, which means two hours of barking, lunging, and adrenaline. The fix is management plus training. Management: move your dog to a back room with a stuffed Kong or chew before the first trick-or-treater arrives, and put a sign on the door saying the dog is sleeping. Training: practice a calm settle on a mat far from the door, rewarding quiet behavior while someone knocks softly. Build up the volume over several five-minute sessions in the weeks before Halloween.
If your dog already barks at the doorbell, do not try to fix it on Halloween night itself. Manage the environment this year and train for next year.
Costumes: most dogs do not want one
A costume that restricts movement, covers the ears, or has dangling pieces is stressful for most dogs, no matter how cute the photos look. If you want to dress your dog up, do a comfort test first: put the costume on, watch for lip licking, yawning, freezing, or trying to scrape it off. If you see any of those, skip it. A simple festive bandana gives you the photo without the stress.
Never leave a costumed dog unsupervised, and keep costumes away from open flames like jack-o-lantern candles.
Candy is the real danger
Chocolate contains theobromine, which dogs cannot process. Dark and baking chocolate are the worst, but any chocolate in quantity can cause vomiting, seizures, or worse. Sugar-free candy and gum containing xylitol (also labeled birch sugar) are even more dangerous: a small amount can cause liver failure. Raisins, found in some Halloween treats, are toxic too.
Keep the candy bowl high and the wrappers out of the trash. Dogs will eat foil wrappers, which can cause intestinal blockages. If your dog eats chocolate or anything with xylitol, call your vet or an emergency animal hospital immediately. Do not wait for symptoms.
Walks and the front yard
Walk your dog before dark on Halloween, while it is still quiet. Keep them leashed even in your own yard that night, since an open gate plus a startled dog is how dogs get lost. Make sure their collar tags and microchip info are current. More pets go missing on Halloween and the Fourth of July than on any other nights.
If your dog is anxious
Some dogs handle the chaos fine once they are settled in a back room with white noise and a chew. Others pace, pant, or hide. Do not force a frightened dog to "face" the trick-or-treaters. Comfort is fine: calm petting does not reinforce fear. A long-lasting chew, a snuffle mat, or a frozen Kong gives an anxious brain something better to do.